Borough commissioners introduced an ordinance on first reading and released more information on the Bancroft property at their meeting last week.
The ordinance would amend various definitions of the borough code in chapter 135 entitled Land Development, as it excluded a zone for personal services.
“It is a little housekeeping. Last year, we added personal service zones 1, 2 and 3. There was a paragraph that wasn’t updated correctly to include all three zones, so this corrects that to include all three,” Commissioner John Moscatelli said.
The second reading of the ordinance will be held at the regular action meeting on Tuesday, Jan 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Borough Hall.
During public comment, clarification was sought on the potential agreement between the borough and Recovery Centers of America with regard to a possible borough purchase of the Bancroft property.
Mayor Jeff Kasko said things between the two in regard to that are very close to a conclusion, but there are some things that need to be worked out.
“We’re very close. There are still a couple of things that we need to work out with the terms of the agreement, and one of the things is, as we talked about in the planning board meeting, this is part of a process that involves public input, it involves the planning board, and it involves a redevelopment plan. We can make an agreement with them, but we still have to go through with this public process to actually make the agreement happen, to make any potential sale or rezoning or development happen.”
The borough is having the Bancroft property renamed a redevelopment zone so a redevelopment plan can be made for the area. The planning board will take up the redevelopment zone proposal at its next meeting, which is Jan. 5, at Borough Hall.
“If we have an agreement, RCA may be there in favor of it. If we don’t come to an agreement, they may have their experts there testifying as to why they don’t think it is necessary. So we’ll find out then,” Moscatelli said.
In other news:
• Commissioners signed a collective bargaining agreement for wages, benefits and conditions of employment for employees of the Haddonfield Police Department.
• Commissioners approved the authorization to award a contract for animal control services. Independent Animal Control Services will provide services in the amount of $700 per month and $50 per call in overtime hours.
• A change order for the Haddonfield Public Library improvements project saw a $35,942 increase for various additions and changes.
• Commissioners read a proclamation to Haddonfield Public Library Director Susan Briant as she is retiring Dec. 31. Commissioners also declared Dec. 16 as Susan L. Briant Day. She has been with the borough since January 2007.
• The borough received $2,700 from the state for the 2015 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over program.
• Commissioners appointed Frederick W. Chase, Timothy A. Chase, E. Guy Elzey, Jr., Steven F. Harski, Peter J. Dobush, Eugene G. Haag, Christine Schroeder, Jack Matty, Jr., Geoffrey Snelling, Kyle Erdner and John Curatola to the Haddonfield Auxiliary Police, effective until December 2016.
• Commissioners approved the list of meeting dates for various boards and committees, which can be found at the borough’s website, www.haddonfieldnj.org, under the commissioner’s meeting agendas.
